Process and apparatus for the purification of continuously flowing gases in the manufacture of liquid fuels



July 21. 1931. JQSEPH 1,815,846

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR THE PURIFICATION OF CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING GASES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LIQUID FUELS Filed May 14, 1928 Gttorucgs 15 carbon bisulphide Patented July 21,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE AIIRED JOSEPH, 0F ENGHIEN, FRANCE,- ASSIGNOR TO GQHPAGHIE HTERNATIONALE POUR LA FABRICATION DES ESSENCES E'I PEI-ROLES, OP PARIS, FRANCE, A. Iam'IED JOINT-STOCK COMPANY OF FRANCE PROQESS AN D APPARATUS FOR THE PURIFICATION 01" OUSIIY III-OWIJIG GASES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LIQUID FUELS Application fled- Iay 14, 1928, Serial No. 277,785, and in Trance August 8, 1927.

For the hot purification of gases derived from the,pyrogenation,-distillat1on, or. gasification of carbonaceous materials, with a view to the elimination of sulphur compounds,

5' the employment has already been proposed,-

10 gases may be classed under two categories,

one being themineral sulphur compounds the principal of which is sulphuretted hydrogen (H S), and the other being the organic sulphur compounds of which the principals are (CS the mercapigzlans (C H SH, etc.) and thethiophenes (C, ,5, etc. I

- The sulphuretted hydrogen '(H S) can be eliminated with the aid of metals or metal oxides such as nickel or the oxides of nickel,

by the formation. of nickel sulphides and the liberation of hydrogen, or the formation of water; the nickel sulphides formedpare, in their turn, easily decomposed in order toreform nickel oxides.

As regards the organic sulphur compounds, they can be decomposed by certain metals or oxides. One part of sulphur liberated is fixed by such metals, the other part can disengage in theform of-sulphuretted hydrogen,

the sulphuretted hydrogen thus formed being retained as above indicated;

In the specification of U. S. patent application No. 100,462, of Eugene Albert Prudhomme, filed 7th April, 1926, there. is de-' scribed a process and an apparatus for the elimination of the sulphur in the operative .cycle of transforming into light hydrocarbons gases derived eit er from a combustible or from a heavy hydrocarbom The process consists in treating the gases in three purifying apparatuses in series wherein the first has the function of retaining almost the whole of the sulphuretted hydrogen, the second liberates, then retains a part of the sulphur contained in the organic sulphur compounds, and the third retains the sulphuretted hydrogen which may form in the second.

The regeneration of the purifiers, in industrial plants, must take place periodically at intervals of time, of the order of one or several hours, and which vary with the starting material treated.

Now, a plicant has recognized that with the purif ymg agents the regeneration of which is easy or rapid by means of currents of an, or oxygen, followed or 'not by currents of reducing gases, there remains in the at the temperature at which the operation is effected, traces of sulphuretted hydrogen.

This phenomenon is due to the reversible reaction:

which commences to act in the direction 1 -of liquid fuels, the total elimination of the sulphur, including the traces which escape in the form of sulphuretted hydrogen, from the batteries of purifiers charged with a metal reagent easv of regeneration.

-According to the invention, the arallel batteries of purifiers, which with a ternate periods of a duration of about one to six hours are successively in activity and then undergoing regeneration, are combined with 817811 of comp ementary checking apparatuses, of very small capacity, located at t 0 outlet from the purifier proper. Each of these check ng apparatuses contains a metal purify? a ent, such as copper for example, m a divi e state and mounted on a porcelain or other carrier pumice stone, porous earth or the like) an of which the sulphide 1s stable at the reaction temperature (a proximately 250 0.). Each apparatus is a ternately fpr periods of from one to three weeks put m the circuit with the remainder of the plant,

whilst the associated apparatus is put out of As can be seen, the course of manufacture is effected in 'a continuous manner with periodical alternations of putting into circuit and regeneration, of the order of several 5 hours, of the various parallel batteries of purifiers proper, and 0 putting in and out of circuit at much longer periods, of the other of one to several weeks, of the two small checking purifiers containing a metal reagent the sulphides of which are stable at the operative temperatures, and which are not included in the regeneration circuit. These checking purifiers may be common to the whole of the parallel batteries of purifiers proper. The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically a plant for the purification of gases and vapours derived from the distilla-.

tion of starting materials such as lignites,

peats or tars.

combination with the means which forms the subject of the applican-ts U. S. patent application No. 205,817 filed 14th July 1927, for Process for the treatment of a metallic organic or other compound, or a gas, bye-gaseous reagent, serving to enter into reaction therewith and of the French Patent No. 639,7 7 4 filed 3rd February 1927, for Process and apparatus for the regeneration of metal The gases and vapours derived from the pyrogenation, distillation or gasification of carbonaceous starting materials, after separation of certain products boiling above 400 0., are eventually led, for example by the branches A A, A, A of a pipe A, provided with cocks a a, a, a into 'parallelbatteries of purifiers proper B B 13*, arranged to be alternately in activity or undergoing-regeneration, the duration of theperlods of. activity varying, according to the six hours.

The purifiers B and B are for exam 1c in activity whilst in the batteries B and t the regeneration of the purifying agents is proceeding, by removingthe sulphur and recuperating the purifying agent.

In accordance with the invention, the purified gases and vapours, before passing on to the apparatuses wherein their enrichment is efiected, in the presence of catalysts, are separated from traces of sulphuretted hydrogen which they may still contain, by traversing a checking purifier of small capacity E or E containing a reagent such as copper for example, in the form of finely divided metal or oxide mounted on a porcelain or other carrier (pumice stone or porous earth), and giving with the sulphur a sulphide stable at the reaction temperature.

- With the small quantity of H 5 which The invention is assumed to be applied inoxides having served for the desul huriza-- nature of thestarting materials, from one to filter F F F", F respectively.

passes through the outlet pipes C, C, C, C and the collecting pipe C to the checking purifiers of which one, for instanceE is normally sufiicient for the whole of the batteries B B, B, B, the alternate periods of activity of E and E may be from one to six weeks accorlding to the nature of the starting mater1a s;

The operation of the plant illustrated by way of example, i e. the combined plant embodying the present invention and .the inventions which form the subjects of the patents cited above by the applicants, is as 01- lows The purifiers B B for example, charged with an oxide of nickel or other suitable oximetallic reagent, are in activity while B and B are undergoing regeneration. The cocks a a 0 0 are open; a, a, c, c are closed. The checking purifier E for example, being in service, the cocks (P, e are open; d and e are closed, and the checking purifier E can be emptied and then recharged during such time.

In accordance with the invention which forms the subject of French Patent No. 639,774, mentioned above, each purifier B, B B B, has at its inlet end besidesthe pipe A A, A, A respectively, for the inlet of the gases and vapours to be purified, provided with its respective cock (1 a, two outlet pipes I J I J I J I J each provided with a cock 6 7' '5 j, i j, z" y and opening into corresponding collectors I in common connected to a vat K for the precipi- .tation of the sulphur. These pipes serve the evacuation of the products of the regen-' eration. This latter is effected as above mdicated by the admission of air or of an oxidizing agent supplied by-a pipe G and admitted by a pipe G, G, G, G respectively, located at the outlet of the purifier proper, this treatment beingpreceded and followed by an admission of reducing gas (hydrogen or water gas for example) supplied by a pipe H and admitted by a corresponding pipe with a cock f f f n respectively, after eventually having traversed an atomic-rendering When the purifiers B B are in activity,

the cocks i 5 f f 9 g of the pipes other than the inlet pipes A A and outlet pipes C 0 are closed.

During the period of activity (of one to several hours) of the purifiers B B, the regeneration of the oximetallic reagents in the purifiers B"',,B is proceeded with. This regeneration is efi'ected in three stages 1st stage: The cocks a, a, c, a being closed, first of all the cocks i f, h and i, f, h are opened.

Thus a reducing gas at a temperature of 300 C. to 400 C. is admitted by the pipe H past the cocks I1, and h, at the outlet end of 130 the apparatuses B, B, i. e. into the zone wherein the yield of sulphur is least.

At the inlet of the pipes f, f may be provided an atomic-rendering filter F, F, i.- e.

a heated ,vessel containing a finely divided ing in the zone wherein the purifying mass feebly loaded with sulphur still contains a considerable proportion of oxide, reduces the sulphides and the oxides to the metallic state,

with the production of sulphuretted hydrogen and water vapour which escape by the opened pipes I I and passes, by the collector I, into the vat K charged with water.

This passage of gas has not only the purpose of liberating the metal, with a view to the second stage of regeneration, but also to form the H S which, by reacting with the S0 produced in the course of the second stage, liberates the sulphur.

2nd stage: The cocks b 7, 2' h, f, z" are closed and 9 9, j 7" opened. Hot ,air or oxygen is admitted by the pipes Gr and G. The metal, formed in the outlet zone oxidizes and is brought'to incandescence. Thus in B and B, are produced locally zones at an elevated temperature due to the heat disengaged by the reaction between the metal and the oxygen. The heat disengaged becomes available for starting the action of the oxygen on the sulphides present in the remainder of the apparatuses B and B.

The sulphur dioxide and the water disengaged, pass, by the pipes J J and the collector J, into the vat K. On the operation being finished, the cocks gt, 9, 7' 7" are closed. r

Applicant recognizes that the action of air or oxygen eflect's', simultaneously with the regeneration of the metal oxide purifiers, the formation ofbasic sulphates (NiO, NiSO, for example). If a purifier is put into service whilst containing basic sulphates these latter the respective purifiers in service.

would be reduced by the gases to be purified, with the disengagement of S0 The sulphur dioxide would be carried on to the catalysts where, in the presence of nickel, it would be in its turn reduced with the formation of HES which would contaminate the catalyst.

It is therefore indispensable to destroy completely these, sulphates, before re-placing This is the object of the third stage.

3rd stage: The reducing gases are sent through the cocks f and f, which, as above stated, may or may not be associated with atomic-rendering filters F and F.

The sulphur dioxide gas which forms is evacuated into the pipe J, past the cooks 7' vessel.

and 7" left open, the cocks g and 9 being closed.

Whilst the regeneration is being effected in B and B, the purifying agents, in fulfilling their role in the apparatuses B and B are becoming .sulphuretted. The traces of H- .S retained by the gasesand vapours are eliminated by the metal of the checking purifier E At the appropriate time by manipulating the appropriate cocks, the apparatuses B'', B

can be placed in the purifying circuit, whilst regeneration is proceeded with in the ap-' paratuses B B Whereas these alternations are efiected over periods of several hours variable according to the starting materials treated, the placing out of circuit of the checking purifier E and into circuit of the purifier E is eifected only over periods variable from one to several weeks. V

The copper sulphide or other sulphide which is produced in these checking apparatuses of very small capacity may be treated by any known method for the regeneration of the metal.

It is obvious that the checking apparatuses of small capacityand of which the periods in and out of circuit are considerably longer than those of the purifiers proper, may be employed in combination with any purifier proper other than those arranged to be regenerated by the applicants methods which have just been indicated Likewise the purifiers proper BBB, B, B may, instead of being each constituted as a single vessel as in the illustrated example, comprise, accordthe organic sulphur. Obviously, the pipes (1, J, I, J, I, J I, J) would-have to be connected to the leading vessel, and the pipes (F G, F, G, F, G, F, G) to the final could be in the plant described only one provided, furnished at the inlet end of each of the purifying apparatuses proper, with a the sin le p1 for the outlet of both the H S 31? 82- 2 Claims 1. A process for treating gases which consists in removing sulphur compounds there from by means of purifying material with formation of hydrogen sulphide, then removing the greater part of the remaining sulphur by means of a purifying material adapted to form sulphur compounds partially unstable at the reaction temperature,'and then removing traces of sulphur remaining in the'gases by means of a purifying agent forming a sulphur compoundwhich is stable at the reaction temperature.

2. A process for treating gases which consists in removing sulphur compounds therefrom by means of a purifying material with formation of hydrogen sulphide, then removing the greater part of the remaining sulphur by means of nickel-containing substances adapted to form compoundswith the sulphur at reaction temperatures .not less than substantially 225, and then removing traces of sulphur remaining in the gases by means-of a purifying agent forming a compound with the sulphur thatis stable above 225.

3. A process for the continuous purification of gases which consists in purifying said gases by means of purifying agents successively retaining the inorganic and organic sulphur with formation of hydrogen sulphide and then forming sulphides with the greater portion of the remaining sulphur in said gases that are unstable at the reaction temperature, effecting said purifying operationin one purifying apparatus while regenerating the purifying agents in another purifying apparatus and alternating said apparatus, and complementarily purifying the gases by means of a urifyin a ent ca able of forming a sulphid that is Etaliile at tile reaction temperature.

4. A process for the continuous purification of gases which consists in purifying said gases by means of purifying materials successively retaining the inorganic and organic sulphur with formation of hydrogen sulphide and then forming sulphides with the greater portion of the remaining sulphur 'in said gases that are unstable at the reaction temperature, effecting the purifying operat1on in one purifying apparatus while regenerat ng the'purifying materials in another purifying apparatus and alternating said apparatus, complementarily purifying said gases by means of a purifying agent capable of forming a sulphide that is stable at the reaction temperature, and effecting the complementary purifying operation continuously in alternate apparatus.

5. A process for the continuous purification of gases which consists in purifying said gases at reaction temperatures not less than substantially 225 by "means of purifying materials retaining the inorganic and organic sul hur with formation of hydrogen sul- B5 phide and then by means of nickel-containing to be purified, an outlet pipe substances forming sulphides with the greater portion of the remaining sulphur in said gases, eifectin the purifying operation in one apparatus w ile regenerating the purifying materials in another purifying apparatus and alternating said apparatus, complementarily purifying said gases by means of a puri ing material capable of forming a sulphide that is stable above 225, and effecting the complementary purification continuously in. alternate apparatus.

6. In a process for purifying gases, the steps of passing the gases through a purifying apparatus containing purifying materials which retain the inorganic and organic sulphur with formation of hydrogen sulphide and containing nickel which retains the greater portion of the remaining sulphur in said gases, effecting the purifying opera- 85 tion in one apparatus while regenerating another apparatus and alternating said appara tus at relatively short intervals, the reaction temperatures in said apparatus being not less than substantially 225, then passing said gases through a complementary purifying apparatus containing a purifying material which retains all remaining traces of sulphur in said gases and forms a compound therewith which is stable at the reaction temperature, effecting said complementary purification in one purifying apparatus while regenerating another complementary purifying apparatus, and alternating said complementary purifying apparatus at relatively long intervals.

7. In an apparatus for purifying gases in the manufacture of liquid fuels, the combination of a plurality of purifying elements, an inlet pipe for each of said elements for gases for each of said elements for purified gases, inlet and outlet valves for said pipes, a common delivery pipe connected to each of said inlet pipes, a common discharge pipe connected to each of said outlet pipes, a pair of pipes connected to the.

outlet end of each of said elements, a pair of pipes connected to the inlet end of said elements for discharging waste regenerating gases therefrom, valves in each of said pipes for delryering and discharging regenerating gases, a pairof checking purifying elements, inlet pipes for each of said checking purifying elements connected to said common discharge pipe for purified gases, an outlet plpe for each of said checking purifying elements, valves for each of said inlet and outlet pipes for said checking and purifying element, and

a common discharge pipe connected to each of said outlet pipes forsaid checking purifying elements.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

ALFRED JOSEPH. 

